A small group was formed to discuss options for athletic fields, including the proposal to install synthetic turf at Highlands Park Athletic Field and synthetic turf & ball field lighting at Heather School athletic field. The group consists of two representatives each from the Heather School neighborhood, the Highlands Park neighborhood, and the Athletic Sites Advisory Council (ASAC). Additionally, a Parks and Recreation Commissioner, the School District Business Manager and staff attend. Meetings are facilitated by an independent Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center facilitator. Three meetings have occurred and more are planned.

The group decided their purpose is to:

• Gather people from different perspectives to discuss options for maximizing playable athletic field hours given the city's resources.
• Attempt to collaboratively reach agreement on an acceptable option(s).
• Provide input to Parks and Recreation Department. This input will help shape the department’s recommendation(s) to the Parks and Recreation Commission, School Board and City Council. If there are dissenting opinions from this group they will be included with any staff reports.

The group has reviewed key issues from the Heather Neighborhood and key issues from the Highlands neighborhood regarding the current proposals. The next step is to gather and analyze data including field usage, costs and field playability. This group intends to consider data regarding a variety of options, not only the current proposals for Highland Park and Heather School.